PSI Life - Quarterly Magazine - Spring 2015 Issue

PECHERSK SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL

SPRING 2015

PSI LIFE REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS

6

DIRECTOR’S NEWS

9

FROM THE PRIMARY PRINCIPAL

10

WHEN LEARNING IS MEANINGFUL

12

GRADE THREE MAKES KYIV THEIRCLASS ROOM

14

UKRAINIAN AS ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

16

PRIMARY UKRAINIAN MOTHER TONGUE CLASSES AT PSI

18

MAKING REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS DURING THE LESSON OF RUSSIAN

20

I LIKE SPANISH LANGUAGE

23

FROM THE SECONDARY PRINCIPAL

24

PHONY BUT SOMEHOW AUTHENTICALLY REAL MAKE-BELIEVE

26

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

28

PSI BACKETBALL TEAMS

32

FROM THE COUNSELLOR

35

ARTS IN THE REAL WORLD

Pechersk School International, Kyiv for

36

DRAMA

students, alumni, parents, and friends of

38

SECONDARY ART

the school.

42

SECONDARY MUSIC

45

PTA NEWS

46

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH KELLY BORK, PTA PRESIDENT

50

ALUMNI

52

CAS PROGRAMME : GATES TO REAL LIFE

55

STUDENT STORE IS MUCH MORE THAN SALES

TWITTER.COM/PSIKIEV

58

MY CAS EXPERIENCE

PSI LINKEDIN PAGE

62

LITERACY MONTH 2015

PSI LIFE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE CHIEF EDITOR – EMMA ZELENINA EMMAZ@PSI.KIEV.UA

COPY EDITOR - PATRICIA PUIA PATRICIAP@PSI.KIEV.UA

LAYOUT DESIGN - MAX MART PRINTED BY: “UKRDRUK” PUBLISHING COMPANY

SECONDARY

WWW.PSI.KIEV.UA

PSI Life is published quarterly by Marketing and Communications Department of

7A VICTORA ZABILY KYIV, UKRAINE, 03039 PHONE: (380 44) 377 5292 FAX: (380 44) 377 5242 COMMUNICATION@PSI.KIEV.UA WWW.PSI.KIEV.UA

FACEBOOK.COM/PSIKIEV

2

COMUNITY

FOUNDER PECHERSK SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL,

A P L A C E W H E R E W E B E L O N G __ W H I N E R 2 0 1 4

BOARD UPDATE

PRIMARY

4

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

S

pring is a season of renewal: warmer days bring fresh starts and positive change.

Nature is changing and, feeling a strong connection with it, we are flourishing, too.

Our spring issue is packed with ‘springy’ articles inspired and connected to real life

topics such as connecting what students are learning in school to their experiences outside of school, applying the lessons learnt from the past to situations that are presented today, finding connections between literature and their own reality, etc.

After such an exciting and eventful winter, I think we can all agree that it is now about time for such spring-like topics and activities. Looking back on everything we have

BY EMMA ZELENINA, MARKETING AND ADMISSIONS MANAGER

experienced this term, I can see the following pictures in my head: a fabulous Shrek production, CEESA competitions, ISTA Theatre Festival, Literacy Month at PSI, students’ field trips, exam preparation, new school videos and students’ exhibitions, PTA Bake Sales, DP Art Exhibition, and many, many more bright events - congratulations to you all on such a remarkable and productive season!

In this issue of PSI Life Magazine, we explore this very important aspect of the IB curriculum - Real World Connections, since it shows that students are more engaged when learning relates directly to the world they live in. This is one of those things at PSI which can be noticed immediately when you walk around the school: in students exploring dimensions in maths by measuring real things (buildings, furniture, etc), studying history by looking for some similarities to current times, and creating great designs by testing them in real world conditions. All these and many other examples are the bridge between students’ projects and their real life.

In addition to the spring-themed articles, we were incredibly honoured to have a one-toone interview with our PTA President, Kelly Bork, whose energy, commitment and optimism are impressive and infectious. In her interview, she shares with us her experience being a PTA President as well as some aspects of living in different countries of the world.

Our alumni student, Galina, shares her ideas on how to become a successful and active student in a college in the UK and what is needed to become a caring and inquiring personality.

Prepare to also be wowed by an incredible experience of the third graders realising that history isn’t just something that happens in books, but is rather the collective experiences of people; by the Grade 7 project, promoting peace, based on a real world connection to the United Nations Resolution 48/11; and by a stunning Student Store story of charity and support. And of course, more and more incredible and powerful examples of our achievements.

Feeling highly inspired by everything that I can see in our classrooms, I am already looking forward to the next issue, more stories, new projects, new bright personalities and more examples of ‘the place where we belong.’

In the meantime, remember that we love to hear from our readers. Share with us on Facebook your other examples of real world connections. As always your feedback, suggestions, and questions are much valued.

3

BOARD UPDATE

BY JOHN BURNS, SCHOOL DIRECTOR

T

hrough the school’s

accreditation period. However,

mid-year review meeting is held to

authorisation process with

annually new strategies, projects

examine the progress of the current

the Council of International

and associate key performance

project and to plan important

Schools (CIS) in Europe and the

indicators (KPIs) are developed and

development projects for the second

New England Association of Schools

implemented. The annual Strategic

half of the school year. Recently, 40

and Colleges (NEASC) in the United

Action Plan is a large part of the

staff, parents and students attended

States as well as the International

Board and school leaders’ work,

our Action Plan Interest & Review

Baccalaureate® (IB), seven goals

with committees and monthly

Team Meeting 2 for this purpose. The

have been set through 2017. These

development meetings being held.

projects all come from the Strategic

goals are set and remain for the 4

In February of each year, a

Action Plan Goal areas below.

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN AREAS & GOALS 1 Successful Learners

Goal: We will encourage and support all members of the school to actively participate in learning that leads to empowerment, engagement and personal excellence.

2 Education

Goal: We will cultivate inquiry-based learning in meaningful contexts through dynamic and reflective practices

3 Community

Goal: We will cultivate a positive school ethos and active partnership through long-term engagement in the life of the school

4 Environment

Goal: We will further develop and sustain a safe, stimulating and nurturing learning environment.

5 Finance

Goal: We will sustain and strengthen the School’s financial position to ensure that educational plans are matched with financial goals and plans.

6 Marketing and Development

Goal: We will further develop PSI’s reputation and market position both locally and globally as a progressive and dynamic international school.

7 Information Technology

Goal: ‘Cutting edge’ educational technology tools and programmes will be implemented to enhance student learning outcomes.

5

DIRECTOR’S NEWS JOHN BURNS PSI DIRECTOR SINCE 2013 Born: Adelaide, South Australia.

Family status: Married to Irene with two daughters Indira (9 years) and Isha (7 years) who attend PSI. Occupation: Head of School / Director.

Professional Experience: Graduate of the University of South Australia with a degree in Physical Education and Sports Science.

T 6

Other experience: Having a background playing and coaching sports, and basketball in particular, at a national and international level provided him with his first opportunity to travel and enjoy being overseas. He has also served as Chairperson and National Director for the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam and enjoys an involvement in the business community, outside of education.

This is something that he also plans to do while in Kyiv.

he IB Diploma Programme

very start of the program.

(DP) is challenging but it

The IB is not about just passing

is not elitist. Universities

exams; it’s about educating

and employers around the world

students to be critical thinkers and

recognise the value of a programme

compassionate citizens. For me, the

that not only promotes high academic

skills, traits and awareness that the

standards but does so in a framework

IB promotes do indeed make the DP

of critical thinking, self-awareness

not only one of the best preparations

and collaboration. To succeed,

for university studies available to

students need to be organised and

secondary students, but also a great

prepared to devote consistent time

preparation for life in the twenty-first

and effort to their studies from the

century.

I enjoy being part of an international school community where students are very proud of their home country but also develop a keen appreciation for the host country, Ukraine, and the new cultures around them.

Video from the Pechersk School International Director, John Burns https://youtu.be/ZaS-miwrfN4

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

7

8

Primary SCHOOL PRIMARY

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

Students in Grade 3 made paper as part of their Sharing the Planet unit on ‘Our personal choices can change the environment’.

Students in Grade 5 work to create lyrics about their Exhibition topics and how these areas of interest impact the world.

FROM THE PRIMARY PRINCIPAL

T Students in Grade 2 presented their learning from the How The World Works unit on ‘Changes in the Earth and its atmosphere impact on the way people live their lives’.

he theme for this issue

Much of what the PYP and PSI stand

of PSI Life is ‘Real World

for is rooted in this. The very first

Connections.’

There is a

pages of Making the PYP Happen

lot being written in education circles

(2009) state, ‘Within the PYP, it is

and the media about 21st Century

believed student learning is best done

learning.

The Partnership for 21st

when it is authentic – relevant to the

Century Skills (2004) identifies skills

“real” world; and transdisciplinary –

students must be taught to prepare for

where the learning is not confined

an increasingly complex world. These

within the boundaries of traditional

include ‘creativity and innovation,

subject areas but is supported and

critical thinking and problem solving,

enriched by them.’ You will find many

and communication and collaboration.’

examples of real world connections

* The best way to facilitate this is

throughout the pages of this magazine,

through real world connections. When

as well as daily in the classrooms at PSI.

students see the reason for their

It is this connection to the real world

learning and connect it to their lives

that makes learning at PSI so exciting

and the world, learning is authentic

and students so happy to be engaged in

and students are more engaged.

their education.

*

BY TATIANA LOPUKHIN,

Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2004). A framework for 21st century learning. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved fromwww.p21.org/documents.P21_Framework.pdf as mentioned in ‘More Than Meets the Eye’ by Bonnie B. Rushlow in Educational Leadership March 2011 | Volume 68 | Number 6

PRIMARY PRINCIPAL 9

PRIMARY

BY MICHAEL PALMER, DEPUTY PRINCIPAL, PYP COORDINATOR

WHEN LEARNING IS MEANINGFUL WALK THROUGH

PSI teachers work hard at

how long their teacher is. Students

THE CORRIDORS

developing authentic and meaningful

then chose the way they wanted to

OF THE PRIMARY

learning experiences across the

measure,

BUILDING ANY DAY

curriculum.

On a recent walk through the

developing their understanding of

YOU WILL WITNESS

building, I observed children engaged

trade in the market place. After

STUDENTS ENGAGED

in a range of real world learning

visiting a local market and trading

IN LEARNING THAT

experiences.

personal items with each other, they

OF THE WEEK AND

CHALLENGES AND

10

In Grade 4, students had been

Kindergarten were

and

Grade

developing

1

launched their own businesses. While

EXTENDS THEIR

students

their

some students sold cookies their

THINKING IN A

understanding of measurement by

moms had made, another entertained

VARIETY OF WAYS.

using non-standard units such as

visitors with a magic show.

paper cutouts of feet and sticks. The

In Grade 2 during their ‘How We

learning challenge was to figure out

Organise Ourselves’ unit, students

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

decided to tidy up the class library.

issues.

Later on, they collaboratively planned

While learning more about how

a service project to help students new

to share the planet, Grade 3 students

to PSI. They made a map of the school

made a plan of how to use less paper

with important rooms and areas in the

towels. The extension of this plan is to

school they believed to be important

share it with the whole school.

to anyone new.

Teachers understand that when

Grade 5 students are engaged

students are engaged in learning

with their exhibition unit researching

embedded in real world experiences,

local and global issues of interest to

the

them. They will be making connections

meaningful for the children. Relevant,

between these issues and their

engaging, challenging and meaningful

passions and they may then choose

learning experiences for our students

to take action on one or more of these

lead them toward a successful future.

learning

is

relevant

and

11

PRIMARY

BY JESSIE STOLL AND VALERIA LAITINEN, GRADE 3 TEACHERS

GRADE THREE MAKES KYIV THEIR

DURING THEIR RECENT ‘WHERE WE ARE IN PLACE AND TIME’ UNIT OF INQUIRY, PSI THIRD GRADERS DISCOVERED THE PAST THROUGH A VARIETY OF RESOURCES. BY UTILISING THE PEOPLE AND PLACES AVAILABLE TO THEM IN PSI AND THE GREATER KYIV COMMUNITY, HISTORY CAME ALIVE FOR THESE STUDENTS.

G 16 2

uest speakers from the

why Dr. Hampe decided he wanted to

PSI community played an

leave East Germany. KG/G1 teacher

important role in this unit.

Nicole Dissinger shared her great-

PSI spouse Dr. Peter Hampe came in

grandfather’s

experience

moving

to share his experiences of trying to

from Italy to the United States at the

escape from East Germany in the

beginning of the 1900s, and what it

1960s, getting caught, and spending

was like to travel through Ellis Island.

18 months in prison.

Students

Grade Two TA Aida Poltorak taught the

were fascinated to hear about why

class about how her mother’s family

Germany was split into two parts, and

was sent to Siberia during World War II

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

after being accused of being spies due to their German ancestry. Ms. Aida shared with the students how it is important to learn from the mistakes of the past, and not to judge people based on their background. By hearing family stories from people the third grade were familiar with, and getting the chance to be inquirers through asking questions, they realised that

Belokon, the Primary art

teacher,

history isn’t just something that

students created a variety of pieces

happens in books, but is rather the

of Ukrainian traditional Art, including

collective experiences of people.

dolls, pysanky, Vertep, and pottery.

Field trips throughout the city of

They also got to see examples of

Kyiv were equally important in making

these art forms at the Museum of

this unit come alive. During a visit to

Decorative Arts and the Ivan Honchara

the Pirogovo Open Air museum, the

museum. Towards the end of the unit,

third graders were shocked to hear

students visited The Museum of the

also brought in examples of important

that the average age of marriage in

Great Patriotic War, and learnt about

buildings in their home countries, and

Ukraine used to be 13-17 years old.

how Ukraine was impacted by the war.

told the class what they had learnt.

Students experienced the inside of

As students explored the history of

To conclude the unit, the students

a traditional Ukrainian school house,

Ukraine, they also learnt more about

created a non-fiction book about the

and visited houses that showed how

the history of their home countries.

history of Ukraine to summarise their

Ukrainians used to live.

Primary

Students interviewed family members

learning. This book is now available

Ukrainian teacher Anna Tarashchuk

to find similarities and differences

for checkout in the Primary library.

accompanied the children to Golden

between their childhood and the

By connecting to different people and

Gate and St. Sophia’s Cathedral, and

childhood of their parents and

places in the PSI and Kyiv community,

drew on her past experiences in the

grandparents. Students shared the

students were able to strengthen

tourism field to teach the students

results of their interviews in class,

their learning and understanding of

about the history of these places.

and were able to make connections

history.

Through collaboration with Anna

with other students. The third graders 13 7

14

UKRAINIAN:

BY PANI ANNA, AL UKRAINIAN PRIMARY TEACHER

PRIMARY

Students work on the assignment about external organs.

Students play a memory game to reinforce the unit vocabulary.

Students match the images of organs with their functions’ description.

THE ANOTHER LANGUAGE (AL) UKRAINIAN PROGRAMME SUPPORTS THE UNITS OF INQUIRY AND COLLABORATION WITH HOMEROOM TEACHERS.

O

bserving and discussing the

were focusing on the concepts of form

objects, people

and the

and function. Students explored the

world around us is a vital

human body, body parts and senses.

part of every AL Ukrainian lesson.

Watching videos, playing games and

Making real-life connections is an

completing numerous worksheets,

essential part of curriculum, because

students learnt the names, form and

it makes the process of learning more

functions of body parts, external and

interesting and effective. Nature

internal organs and the role they

documentaries or historical footage

play in a human’s life. Students also

are two perfect examples of making

explored the work of their senses by

real-life connections that we also use.

smelling and touching different things

During their last Unit of Inquiry, Grade 1 and Kindergarten students

with their eyes closed.

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

During their last UOI, Grade 2 AL

clothes, activities) and the Earth.

Ukrainian students focused on the

Students presented their weather

concept of change and causation

forecasts to the class. It helped them

and explored ‘How the World Works’.

to reinforce the unit vocabulary and

Students learnt the names of various

deepen their knowledge of regions

natural phenomena and their impact

and main cities of Ukraine at the same

on the Earth. With the help of weather

time. In addition, students understood

journals maintained for a couple

that weather has a direct influence on

of weeks, students observed the

the way we dress and on the choice of

everyday weather changes and the

our activities.

Darka from Grade 3 speaks about air pollution (smog)

way they influence people (choice of

Grade 3 AL students presenting their articles on environmental problems.

Grade 4 AL students have recently been working on the ‘Who We Are’ unit, focusing on the concept of causation and connection and developing their understanding of the Learner Profile and its connection to everyday life and behaviour. We developed such attitudes as appreciation (valuing the world and its people with their diverse beliefs and values) and tolerance (sensitivity

towards

differences

of people’s beliefs and values).

Discussing numerous book and film characters, students selected their Grade 4 AL Ukrainian Students present their autobiographies.

favorite ones, and tried to analyse their behaviour in order to determine their values, beliefs and attitudes and compare them with other characters and themselves. Through discussions and written assignments, students enriched their active vocabulary with nouns and descriptive adjectives we use to talk about someone’s character and beliefs. Students then wrote their autobiographies, reflecting on ‘Who They Are’.

15

PRIMARY

Grade 2 Ukrainian MT class

‘

If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.

‘

NELSON MANDELA

IRYNA SYDORUK, UKRAINIAN MOTHER TONGUE COORDINATOR 16

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

KG/Grade 1 Ukrainian MT class

Grade 5 Ukrainian MT class

PSI OFFERS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO OUR LOCAL STUDENTS WHO WANT TO STUDY UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE AND IMPROVE THEIR LANGUAGE SKILLS IN UKRAINIAN MOTHER TONGUE CLASSES.

S

tudents are taught Ukrainian

our local students. In Ukrainian Mother

language,

and

Tongue class, students practice using

history at both Primary

Ukrainian language in discussions

literature

and Secondary levels.

This helps

about various topics that relate to

our local students to connect with

their everyday lives. They learn to

their ancestors, learn more about

express their thoughts in Ukrainian,

the country we live in, and further

and are able to use this language

appreciate its history and culture.

to convey their thoughts and ideas.

All the instruction, curriculum and

Primary Ukrainian Mother Tongue

materials are in the mother tongue

classes feature real-world contexts

and take into account the child’s

and flexible vocabulary, enabling our

known world. Our Ukrainian Mother

students to learn Ukrainian language

Tongue program includes teachers

in a fluid, natural way.

who share the language and culture of 17

PRIMARY

Kindergarten and Grade 1 students practice the song about their everyday activities. This way they learn how to describe what they usually do in the morning, at school, and in the evening.

Grade 5 students rehearse a play about school.

This helps them remember how to use everyday classroom questions and directions such as: ‘Please, give it to me! Where is my…? Do you have…? Could you please do this?’

FOR STUDENTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS ARE MADE TO THE STUDENTS’ LIVES OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM.

L

inks to the students’ own

learnt from the past to situations that

experiences will strengthen

are presented today. In Russian as an

the connections between

Additional Language class, students

the classroom and life outside of the

often practice using words and phrases

classroom. As students begin to connect

that they need during their everyday

what they are learning in school to

life in Kyiv: figuring out information that

PRIMARY RUSSIAN

their experiences outside of school,

they see and hear, asking for directions,

LANGUAGE TEACHER

they can begin to apply the lessons

prices, etc.

BY MS. MARIA KUSTOVA,

18

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

With the help of picture cards, Grade 4 students practice asking for and sharing information about where they have spent their vacation, who went with them, what they were doing there, what they liked and did not like.

Grade 3 students practice asking each other and sharing personal information (What is your name? What are the things that you like doing, eating?) as well as using polite words such as: hello, excuse me, please, may I, etc.

Grade 5 students present their advertisement to their classmates. Being part of the audience, students try to figure out what the group is advertising, what the prices are, where it is located, and other information.

During the course of the year, Grade 3 students create and perform a lot of mini-plays about different situations. Here Marius, Will and Olympia are performing a scene called ‘In the Shop’ for their group mates.

Grade 2 students rehearse the play in several parts. Each part concentrates on one of the unit’s vocabulary that students study this year. This helps them memorise new words and phrases as well as to continue improving their reading skills.

19

PRIMARY

BY DON JAVIER LARRAURI PUEBLA, SPANISH AL PYP TEACHER

NEARLY 550,000,000 PEOPLE SPEAK SPANISH AROUND THE WORLD, MAKING IT THE THIRD MOST-SPOKEN LANGUAGE IN THE WORLD (AFTER MANDARIN CHINESE AND ENGLISH).

THAT’S ONLY ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE HAVE INTRODUCED SPANISH LANGUAGE IN THE PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME (PYP) HERE AT PSI.

A

background allows

in

Spanish

students

communicate

in

to Spain,

the USA and Latin America, among other popular travel destinations. To get them ready for that, the Spanish programme here at PSI has been focusing on the kinds of ‘real world’ vocabulary and conversations that children could use when talking to other Spanish speakers. That’s why since the very beginning of the classes, Spanish students in PSI have been encouraged to learn and play with Spanish basic words, such as numbers, colours and greetings, in order to express basic information

Kindergarten & Grade 1 students are excited during their classes as they learn numbers, colours and useful expressions in Spanish, but the topic about animals was a total success. Their favourite one is the ‘león’ the lion in the coat of arms of the Spanish flag.

20

and manage basic conversations.

These new Spanish students were confronted with the challenge of a new language, already the third

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

Grade 2 is a highly motivated group; they are learning so fast, and already know greetings, questions, numbers, colours and animals. They also know how to say their lovely fruits and how to express their feelings, and they have written and drawn a lot of new words in their ‘cuadernos’ (notebooks).

or fourth language for most of them.

the brain. Our goal must be to plant

They come from diverse cultural

the seed of this new language in our

backgrounds; some of them already

students, taking into consideration

know other Romance languages like

the increasing importance of Spanish

Italian or Portuguese, and some others

language all around the world and

have Slavic or Germanic languages as

its presence in every international

their mother tongue. Many are still

community like PSI. Thats why in the

developing their native language and

last months, our students have been

English skills while learning Spanish.

discovering this new, interesting and

Still, we know that a lot of linguistic

entertaining language that will give

research about language learning tells

them very useful knowledge for their

us that between the ages of 2 and 12

future. We hope that they are saying

years, there is a ‘critical period’ when

‘¡ME GUSTA EL ESPAÑOL!’ I like the

the aptitude to learn a new language

Spanish language!

is optimal because of the flexibility of

Grade 3 is a small group, always willing to learn new words and have fun. They already know a lot of words and expressions, including how to introduce themselves, and they are able to have nice dialogues talking about themselves. Sports topics and vocabulary were a great success due to the love of our kids for the Spanish football teams and players.

Grade 4 already has a very good level for their first year. They already know a lot of grammar and verbs; they can talk about themselves, their families and their likes and dislikes, and every time there is an exercise such as a crossword puzzle or a word search to learn new vocabulary, they finish it quite fast. They can describe anyone´s appearance, clothes and physical description without any mistakes.

Grade 5 is a big group with a great knowledge of Spanish grammar. Their vocabulary is getting bigger week by week; they can follow a lot of instructions and understand Don Javier with very little effort. They love word searches and written exercises, and on Fridays they use their computers to play some games to learn Spanish. In the last Unit of Inquiry, they performed some clothing advertisements and they are already experts about clothes in Spanish and how to describe anybody’s appearance.

21

22

Secondary SCHOOL

S E CO N DA RY

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

FROM THE SECONDARY PRINCIPAL

BY PATRICIA PUIA, SECONDARY PRINCIPAL

W

hen we think about ‘real world contexts,’ it’s a temptation

to

think

about future careers. How will I ever use what I’m learning in mathematics

and see the ‘big picture’ of their own

At PSI, we work hard to help students

in my future as an artist? How will I

educations and their own futures.

understand that what and how they

ever use my Drama class projects in

But parents and teachers know

learn does connect to the world

my life as a business executive? It’s

that the ‘real world’ and the world of

around them. We do that in countless

hard for our students to step back

the future are more complex than that.

ways, including:

Connecting great works of literature to students’ lives Visiting important historical sites in Kyiv as part of a unit on Russian/Ukrainian culture and language Discussing how the current crisis in Ukraine connects to world history, economics and geography Examining the impact of climate change on weather patterns here and in students’ home countries Analysing statistics connected to their own physical fitness Use an original drama production to explore the nature, causes and cures for stress in our daily lives

There’s even more involved in real world applications, though. Content keeps changing, but the skills that students will need as adults are also being developed here. Students in both MYP and DP are learning to: Communicate verbally, visually, mathematically and physically Solve problems that don’t have easy answers Work with people who have different backgrounds, knowledge and opinions Identify problems in their own community, develop plans and provide support for people in need Balance their lives through a combination of academic learning, physical activity and artistic expression In short, we prepare students for their very

mean. Learning at PSI isn’t just an

real futures by giving them real problems to

abstract exercise. It’s a way to prepare

solve and a strong skill set to approach the

students to interact with the world

unknown with confidence.

around them in ways that will make a

As you read through the examples in this magazine, you’ll see what I

positive difference for themselves and for others.

23

S E CO N DA RY

PHONY BUT SOMEHOW AUTHENTICALLY REAL MAKEBELIEVE MODERN FAMILY

A

s you know, reality TV claims

how the main character describes

to document unscripted

his experience over several days

situations

actual

in New York City. He stumbles from

occurrences emphasising personal

one awkward social situation to the

SHOWS IN THE

drama and conflict. The ‘confessional’

next, offending pretty much everyone

UNITED STATES.

plays a vital role in many of these

he meets as his mental health

VIEWERS AROUND

programs, when the characters

deteriorates to the point where he

THE WORLD ALSO

talk directly into the camera and

lands in a psychiatric hospital.

ENJOY THIS PARODY

share their innermost thoughts and

WHICH MAKES FUN

emotions.

REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR TELEVISION

OF REALITY TV.

and

HEAD OF ENGLISH DEPARTMENT 24

and I shared with the Grade 9

If you believe the producers of

students emphasised the inherently

these programmes stretch the term

unreliable nature of the first-person

‘reality’ to the breaking point, you are

narrative. Holden’s mental illness

not alone. But the format provides

makes that point clearly.

a great learning opportunity. Grade

turned the table on Holden with the

9 English Language and Literature

Reality TV Confessional. Each of our

students have taken on characters for

students adopted the persona of

a classic modern novel and recorded

one of the other characters in the

their own ‘confessionals.’

novel and recorded a reaction to their

Many of you in high school read DR. DAVID FREEMAN,

The novel study that Ms. Karg

But we

interaction with Holden.

the novel The Catcher in the Rye

The project required students to

by J. D. Salinger. You will remember

write a script. This first-person point

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

of view clashes with the version of

learns her brother had once again

events as related by Holden in the

been kicked out of school? What does

novel. In the analysis the students

Sally think when Holden asks her to

submitted along with the recording,

run away with him?

they described the decision-making

This individual process paralleled

process that went into their video

another summative group task. In

creations: What kind of language or

teams of three, the students had to

diction would a New York taxi driver

commonly develop an incident such

use? How would Holden’s little sister

as a family dispute over money or a

Phoebe express herself when she

dye- job-gone-bad at the hair salon.

One student described the incident from the first-person viewpoint using terms like ‘I’ to relate the action and thoughts of the main character.

Another student wrote from the thirdperson limited perspective, describing the situation as experienced by another character. The last student used

the

omniscient

viewpoint,

looking inside the minds of everyone involved. Together they produced an analysis of how the viewpoints differ and how stylistic choices played a role in their respective perspectives.

The final piece of the puzzle required the students to write a reflection on the process of developing a fictional perspective. That included a prompt asking them to think about perspectives in their own lives and how their actions impact other people.

Ms Karg and I hope the students will understand the connection between literature and their own reality.

25

S E CO N DA RY

BY JACOB ORTWEIN, HOD DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY DESIGN IS A SUBJECT WHERE REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS HAPPEN FREQUENTLY, FROM COLLECTING SURVEYS, LOOKING AT MARKET COMPETITION, OR TESTING DESIGNS IN REAL WORLD CONDITIONS. AS EXAMPLES, WE WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS ON TWO UNITS THAT HAVE SOME OF THESE REAL-WORLD CONNECTIONS.

GRADE 7

PROMOTION OF PEACE

This unit grew out of The Schools’ International Peace Quilt for 2016. It’s a project with a real world connection to the United Nations Resolution 48/11. As the Peace Quilt Programme states, this 1993 resolution has roots in, ‘...Ancient Olympic Games [that] provided a pause to the endless cycle of violence through the observance of the Sacred Truce. Our ancient and supposedly less civilized ancestors made it work; let us embrace what is possible for RIO 2016!’ The final result was a project using textiles materials and techniques to promote peace for the UN. 26

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

GRADE 8

AUTOMATION MECHANICS VISIT TO KG/1 CLASS

For the unit on automations, Design students read a hypothetical design problem: A supermarket chain has approached your design company to design a small mechanical toy to be placed at every checkout. It will be next to the chocolate and sweets. The aim is to encourage young children to ask their parents to buy them the toy and chocolate / sweets, etc., before they purchase their weekly shopping.

The mechanical toy should be simple, cheap to manufacture and attract the interest of young children. It should be relatively cheap to buy so that parents find it hard to say ‘no’ to their children. The product should be associated with fun, enjoyment, cartoons and any other enticing characteristics. It must include a mechanical movement.

To make the problem more authentic, Grade 8 visited the KG/1 class to get ‘user research’ for the product. They interacted with others outside their class to get real world feedback from potential users of their product.

The final result was a well researched and thought out automation that had a connection with young children.

27

S E CO N DA RY

BY NIKA TRNOVSEK, GRADE 7 STUDENT

MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL CEESA 2015

WE STARTED OUR SEASON WITH A COUPLE

this has a lot to do with the sport but

OF PRACTICES, GETTING TO KNOW ONE AS

also the people you meet and make

THE TYPE OF PLAYERS WE ARE. SEEING THAT

connections with, friends that you

WE WEREN’T IN THE BEST CONDITION WHEN

have and remember for the rest of

STARTING, IT’S GREAT TO SEE THE AMOUNT OF

your life. We finished the tournament

PROGRESS THAT WE’VE MADE THROUGHOUT

in fourth place, fighting for third but

THE COURSE OF THE SEASON.

sadly losing to our opposing team

I 28

from Sofia. Even though we didn’t get think finding our strengths and

Every CEESA tournament starts

a medal, I think we were all still pretty

weaknesses as a team but also

off as being a little nerve racking;

proud of the result. If I could describe

as individuals was an important

it’s the amount of curiosity you have

our basketball season with one word I

part towards becoming a really great

before knowing how well the other

would have to say it was ‘memorable’,

team. We ended up playing a couple

teams play that set you off to try even

a trip that won’t be forgotten. Thank

of really tight games, playing against

harder and do the best you can. This

you to our amazing coaches for

other International/ Ukrainian schools

year’s CEESA tournament happened

getting this far. If it wasn’t for them,

in Kyiv. The games that we played

in Helsinki, Finland and we competed

we probably wouldn’t have made it

weren’t all that impressive, but they

against five other teams in Eastern

very far.

prepared us for the real competition

Europe that are from international

in Helsinki.

school like us. Going to an event like

Congratulations to all the girls for a great season. Go Panthers, go!

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

BY BARNABY MORGAN, MYP HUMANITIES & DP ECONOMICS TEACHER

MSB BASKETBALL REPORT

OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM HAS JUST RETURNED FROM A TOURNAMENT IN RIGA. THIS EVENT WAS THE CULMINATION OF A LONG CAMPAIGN WAGED TO ASSERT PSI’S SUPREMACY UNDER THE HOOPS.

T

his year, PSI was lucky

Belgrade were particularly imposing.

to have a strong squad

Nevertheless, the Panther spirit is

of players and a pair of

alive and well in Middle School and

dynamic coaches. In the Kyiv league,

our boys competed manfully against

we fielded two teams, both of

great odds. Disappointingly, we

which tasted success and improved

finished the tournament winless, but

markedly throughout the season.

the boys have unfinished business at

Preparing for the tournament in

CEESA and will surely be all the more

Riga, we empathised with how David

determined next time they don the

must have felt gathering stones to

panther-on-blue. We may not have

sling at Goliath. Our brave PSI squad

been able to emulate David this year,

was younger, shorter, smaller and

but look out next year for the PSI

less experienced than the other

Middle School Boys team to rise like

squads; the boys from Skopje and

Lazarus.

29

S E CO N DA RY

BY SOPHIA YUSHCHENKO (GRADE 10) AND CLARA LEMAIRE (GRADE 11)

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL CEESA

THIS YEAR, THE HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM WENT TO SKOPJE,

Skopje, Macedonia and got 5th place,

MACEDONIA. WE LEFT SCHOOL AT

with a score of 26-27. Even though

4:30 AM AND HAD A TRANSFER FLIGHT

it was not a game for a trophy, the

THROUGH VIENNA.

relief and happiness from the players

M

and the coaches were amazing. This ost of us only slept for a

reinvigorate our morale, all the teams

tournament being the last basketball

few hours that night, so

were invited to participate in ice-

tournament for a few players, the

the plane became our

skating or table-tennis. We all had a

energy on the last game helped us to

second bed. We arrived in the morning

lot of fun and got to know the other

win it and go home with a feeling of

and had to sit in NOVA for most of the

teams.

pride and happiness.

day. At 4 pm, the host families came

On the second day, we played

As one of the captains from the

with valiant efforts and even though

team, I would like to thank the team

the scores were very close we were

and the amazing coaches, Ms. Vogel

opening

at a loss. Even with a few injuries,

and Mrs. Santos, for a special last

ceremony, all of the participants of

the team never gave up and fought

CEESA and season. It was terrific to

CEESA sang a happy birthday song and

throughout the games with great

play with all the amazing players, on

the Panthers gave her a present. That

teamwork and skill. Playing like this

and off the court. A very big thank you

day, we played against Sofia, Bulgaria

finally had an impact on the last

to the coaches for being able to deal

and Belgrade, Serbia. Unfortunately,

day, as we won both of our games

with us during those five stressful

we lost both our games that day. To

against,

days and never giving up on us.

to pick us up.

The next morning was Ms.Vogel’s birthday.

30

During

the

Bratislava,Slovakia

and

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

BY DAMIAN GORCZYNSKI (GRADE 10) AND KUBA TOMBINSKI (GRADE 10)

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM

THIS SEASON HAS BEEN VERY CHALLENGING AS WE WERE A VERY YOUNG TEAM. EVERY SINGLE PLAYER IN OUR TEAM HAS MASSIVELY IMPROVED THROUGHOUT THE SEASON, SHOWING GREAT TEAM SPIRIT AND CONTRIBUTION TO THE TEAM.

T

hanks to all the players’ hard work, we were able to finish the Kyiv League with 5 wins

in a row and the trophy for first place.

The next challenge we had to face was CEESA. Our high school basketball CEESA tournamet took place in Belgrade, Serbia.

We happened to be the youngest and smallest team in the tournament. Despite that, we stayed positive and tried our best. Unfortunately, our hard work and contribution to the team did not permit us to win the tournament. Although we took the last place, we were glad of our improvement throughout the season and our attitude during CEESA.

31

S E CO N DA RY

THE COUNSELLOR’S DESK: HANDLING STRESS

WE’RE A LITTLE OVER HALF WAY THROUGH THE YEAR, AND IN THE HIGH SCHOOL, THE RECURRING THEME SEEMS TO BE STRESS. FROM CLASSROOM SESSIONS TO HALLWAY CONVERSATIONS, STUDENTS FROM GRADES 9 – 12 ARE FALLING VICTIM.

BY KATIE KING, SECONDARY COUNSELLOR 32

I

t was my privilege recently to

we hope that they handle their stress

be a ‘guest teacher’ discussing

better than Holden Caulfield, they re-

stress in the Grade 9 English

ally enjoyed the chance to talk about

classes as a tie-in with their unit on

their worries (big and small) as well

Catcher in the Rye. Our students feel

as what others do that confuses and

pressure from many areas. Pressure

confounds them. Fairness and incon-

to perform well in academics, athlet-

sistency from adults were big themes

ics and service. Pressure to fit in with

with the boys, while the girls focused

their peers. Pressure to get into the

more on pressure to meet their own

right college, to make their parents

and others’ high expectations of them.

proud, to please their teachers. While

In the 10th grade, pressures are sim-

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

ilar, but were recently multiplied by

So, what can we adults do to help our students manage their stress? First, it’s im-

choosing courses for the 11th and

portant know and watch for signs of overload. These include:

12th grade, which entails students de-

Increased physical illness

ciding which of our graduation options

‘Shutting down’ and withdrawing from people and activities

to pursue (PSI Diploma, PSI Diploma

Increased anger or irritable lashing out at others

+ IB Certificates, or PSI Diploma + IB

Increased tearfulness and feelings of hopelessness

Diploma) and what effect those choic-

Chronic feelings of worry and nervousness

es may have on university admission.

Difficulty sleeping and eating

The choice is a very personal one to be

Difficulty concentrating

made by students and parents together in consultation with teachers, Mr.

Second, it’s important to teach children positive coping mechanisms. Having some

DePooter (the DP coordinator) and me.

of these at the ready is essential in handling stress effectively. Common practices

Grade 11s are fully immersed in

include:

the DP and recently started on what

Taking deep breaths accompanied by encouraging self-talk

English Head of Department Dr. Free-

Setting small goals and breaking tasks into smaller chunks

man called ‘The most stressful 12

Exercising and eating regular meals, and avoiding excessive caffeine

months of your lives.’ I have to agree

Focusing on things you can control and letting go of things you cannot control

with him on this. By the end of 2015,

Rehearsing and practicing feared situations

these students will complete multi-

(e.g., practising public speaking or asking someone out on a date)

ple Internal Assessments (IAs), final

Talking about problems with others

exams, college entrance exams, and

Lowering unrealistic expectations

research, as well as choosing and ap-

Scheduling breaks and enjoyable activities, such as music, art, sports,

plying to university.

For the students in Grade 12, stress comes from waiting for univer-

and socialising Accepting yourself as you are and identifying unique strengths and building

on them, but realising that no one is perfect!

sity decisions, preparing for IB exams, finishing courses, and anticipating the

Stress is part of life. By teaching your child how to cope with stress, we are sharing

major changes coming soon to their

and reinforcing important life skills that they can put to use immediately and benefit

lives.

from in the decades to come.

33

34

Secondary Arts

S E CO N DA RY A R TS

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

ARTS IN THE REAL WORLD

H

BY MALINA PATEL, HEAD OF SECONDARY ARTS

moments! While his anecdote had me laughing in appreciation, it was the lasting impression of his experience that struck me. The ambassador about

spoke of how the skills he learnt in

performing in a school

drama class years ago continue to be

production

of

Bertolt

valuable to him today. His job involves

Mother

Courage

and

having to present himself in a calm

He chuckled as he

and confident manner, often speaking

recounted how a missed sound cue

to audiences that range from 50 to

led the actors (who were playing

500 people, and having the ability

dead soldiers in the scene) to begin

to improvise and problem solve in a

laughing – turning this famous piece

creative manner... real world skills

of epic theatre into a farce for a few

learnt by studying the arts in school!

MARCH 24 - APRIL 5

JUNE 4-6

JUNE 6

REFRAMED DP VISUAL ART STUDENT EXHIBITION

INTO THE WOODS BY STEPHEN SONDHEIM

ARTS FEST 2015

ART CENTRE CHOCOLATE HOUSE

IN THE PSI PLAYGROUND

IN THE PSI PLAYGROUND

Opening Reception with

Directed by Malina Patel, Music

PSI’s 2nd annual festival of the

the Artists – March 27

Direction by Mica Gaard

arts! An afternoon of performances,

The show has a cast of 22 students

workshops, experimenting,

from Grades 6-11, a 5-person

and celebrating the arts in our

stage management team, 4 live

community.

I RECENTLY HAD A VERY REWARDING DISCUSSION ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF ARTS EDUCATION WITH MR. SIMON SMITH, THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE.

Brecht’s

e

spoke

Her Children.

fondly

musicians, and a production crew of 10. Rehearsals have already begun, and we’re excited about how the show is shaping up!

35

DRA SSEECCOONNDDAARRYY A R T S

BY MALINA PATEL, HEAD OF SECONDARY ARTS

36

AMA REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

IN FEBRUARY, I

HAD THE PLEASURE OF TRAVELLING WITH MIDDLE SCHOOL (MS) AND HIGH SCHOOL (HS) STUDENTS TO THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS THEATRE ASSOCIATION

(ISTA) FESTIVALS IN BUCHAREST AND MUNICH.

T

he MS festival used the

Just a couple of weeks later, the HS

theme

Closed

group travelled to Munich for a festival

Doors’ as its starting point.

that focused on ‘Speaking Out’. The

A walking tour of Bucharest inspired

starting point was The White Rose,

us to imagine the stories of the

and the anniversary of the trial and

people who had been there before

execution of Sophie and Hans Scholl

us, and this became the inspiration

for their participation in the resistance

for devising work that was done

movement that opposed Hitler’s regime

in the ensembles groups. The final

in 1943. The final performance combined

performance contained elements of

songwriting, shadow puppetry, voice

immersive theatre, and was incredibly

and

dynamic to watch and experience as

technical theatre to create a moving and

an audience member.

empowering piece of theatre.

‘Behind

movement

techniques,

and

37

Anna Shipovich, The Uncertainty of the Poet after Giorgio de Chirico, 2013 S E CO N DA RY A R TS

SECONDARY ART

BY SARA JACOBS, SECONDARY VISUAL ART

38

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

Sofia, Azcona Abrain, Cara Huevo, 2014

Maria Kombarova, Being Isolated, 2013

The DP Visual Art students presented Reframed: A PSI Exhibition.

The

students hosted their exhibition, which showcased the work they produced during the two-year IB Diploma Programme. They used real world skills in order to present their work to the community.

Just like

gallery curators, students organised, documented,

framed,

and

hung

artwork for their exhibition.

39

S E CO N DA RY A R TS

Students hung their work at The Art

and the layout of the exhibition. They

Center Chocolate House. They worked

problem-solved issues with framing

together to design the exhibition.

and hanging artwork as well as

They considered how they wanted

challenges with lighting and space.

the audience to experience their work

40

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

41

S E CO N DA RY A R TS

SECONDARY MUSIC 42

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

THE ARTS DEPARTMENTS ARE BUZZING ABOUT OUR UPCOMING PRODUCTION OF INTO THE WOODS, WHICH FEATURES MANY STUDENT PERFORMERS ACROSS THE SECONDARY SCHOOL.

W

hat

is

exciting production

especially about

this

for

me

is the opportunity to work with students not only on vocals, but also as instrumentalists. We are putting together live accompaniment for the show, something not too common in most secondary schools, and we will be arranging the music ourselves in order to fit the unique talents of our student musicians.

For these three students, learning to accompany live singers makes them think on their feet and understand musically how their parts support and enhance the overall sound. The actors, in turn, have the ability to make in-the-moment performance

This June production will feature Maria Turner (Grade 11) on violin, Sahil Fatehpuria (Grade 11) on percussion, and Hugh Trappett (Grade 7) on saxophone.

decisions based on emotional feeling and can interact more with the audience. And in a real-world context, all these students learn about the importance of working together to

BY MICA GAARD, MYP MUSIC TEACHER

pull off one amazing production.

See you in the woods!

43

44

COMUNITY

COMMUNITY

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

BY TAMARA JASPERS, PTA SECRETARY

PTA NEWS PTA HOSTED A WELL-ATTENDED VALENTINE’S

countries who are donating a country

BAKE SALE ON FRIDAY, 13 FEBRUARY, TO HELP

basket for this auction. Thank you to

FUND PTA EVENTS. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO

all these countries! No country basket

BAKED, SOLD OR BOUGHT! WE MANAGED TO

made yet? No worries! There is still

SELL ALMOST ALL CAKES AND RAISED A LOT

time if you would like to donate one.

OF MONEY FOR PTA EVENTS LIKE THE SPRING

Contact your country representative

FLING PARTY.

or Tamara (ptasecretary@psi.kiev.ua) for more info.

PTA is working hard on the upcoming

Besides country baskets, we will

Spring Fling Party on 25 April and it is

have fantastic teacher promises to

going to be great! We have found a great

bid on: How about being principal for

location, M17 Art Gallery, with enough

a day? Or having John Burns as your

space to do some serious dancing.

waiter at your private pizza party?

There will be canapes and cocktails.

Just to name a few of the items.

Furthermore, a silent auction will be held to bid on fantastic prizes. At the

Get your tickets from 30 March onwards!

time of writing, there are already 15 45

COMMUNITY

INTERVIEW BY EMMA ZELENINA , MARKETING AND ADMISSIONS MANAGER

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH KELLY BORK, PTA PRESIDENT SOME WORDS ABOUT YOU: YOUR BACKGROUND, PREVIOUS PATH TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW

46

I have a masters degree in Law. When

HOW LONG HAVE YOU

we lived in London, I got an opportu-

BEEN A PTA PRESIDENT?

nity for an international career path in

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO

a rapidly growing company, but once I

TAKE OVER THIS POSITION?

had children, I didn’t want to continue

WERE YOU A PTA MEMBER/

my 14-hour workdays. I then joined

PRESIDENT IN OTHER

the Danish Embassy in London. We

SCHOOLS AND HOW DID

moved to Qatar due to my husband’s

YOU GET INVOLVED IN PTA

work. It was not easy for me to work

INITIALLY?

as legal counsel, so I started to do

This is my third year as PTA president.

our school even more fantastic. PSI

charity work for Hope and Homes.

I became involved with the PTA

is ‘a place where we belong’ for the

When we moved to Kyiv three years

when we arrived, as it was a great

children, teachers and parents – all in

ago, I continued charity work using

opportunity to meet other parents.

an international setting with a lot of

the connection to the expatriate com-

I was also PTA chair at our previous

change and in a very difficult period in

munity and working closely with the

school and loved it - the camaraderie,

Ukraine with a lot of uncertainty and

British Embassy.

the community and trying to make

additional issues and concerns.

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

Pechersk School International PTA President Speech https://youtu.be/EHbV9PuTCHw 47

COMMUNITY

YOU AND YOUR FAMILY HAVE LIVED IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD (UK, QATAR ). HOW HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH A VARIETY OF SCHOOLS SHAPED YOUR VIEWS ON EDUCATION, AND HOW HAS IT INFLUENCED YOUR WORK WITH PTA?

When we lived in London, our children didn’t attend school yet. In Doha they went to the British Embassy School which is a very different system compared to an IB school, so it did take some getting used to, but now I appreciate the IB system and find myself using words like risk-taker, inquirer, etc., in everyday life, much to the amusement of my children.

I like to think we all as parents take the good bits from our previous postings and bring them to life at our new schools. The PTA establishes a network for new families arriving to a new country and new language with the natural ‘on-boarding’ issues for both children and parents. Our key role is to be the bridge between the school management and the parents,

48

shaping and taking forward ideas

HOW WOULD YOU

WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE

or issues in the parent community

DESCRIBE THE ROLE OF

MOST ABOUT BEING THE

and seeking to find improvement

THE PTA PRESIDENT?

PTA PRESIDENT?

opportunities in close partnership

Busy, fun and rewarding. When we

A chance to hang out at school and

with the school management and

host events like International Night,

check on my boys ;-). Seriously, I

particularly the Director at the School.

Summer Fair and Staff Appreciation

thoroughly enjoy getting to know and

and everyone is having a great time,

working with all the staff, parents and

you know it’s been worth the hard

students at school. We have a very

work.

special community here at PSI.

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

WHAT FROM YOUR

not part of the normal budget, but I

long, but taking the boys skiing or

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

like to think every bake sale, book

sledding in the parks make up for it.

IMPACTED PTA IN PSI?

drive, party, etc., is a success. We have

(ANYTHING FROM YOUR

been fortunate enough to provide the

WHAT WILL YOU MISS THE

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

school with extra computers, a 3D

MOST ABOUT PSI AND

WHICH WAS HELPFUL IN

printer and many other things. But I

UKRAINE?

RUNNING PTA?)

think our biggest success every year

Definitely PSI and all the fantastic

I – like many other parents living

is in welcoming the new families and

friends we as a family have met

in an international setting – have

staff to Kyiv and PSI and hopefully

through the school community.

ideas from previous schools. I have

making their settling smooth and

tried to incorporate not only my own

enjoyable.

but also other parents’ ideas into

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO PSI AND FUTURE

PSI. I’m also connecting back to my

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST

PTA MEMBERS?

friends from Doha with ideas from

ABOUT UKRAINE?

Keep up the good work!

Kyiv that they might like to work on.

PSI for sure.....! Maybe that’s why

Hence we are ‘communicators’ and

I spend so much time here.... I really

YOUR PLANS FOR THE FU-

‘knowledgeable’.

enjoy the variety of things to do in Kyiv

TURE?

both for the children and for us adults.

We are due to leave Kyiv this summer

ARE THERE ANY

There are always so many exhibitions,

as we have reached the end of our

DIFFERENCES IN RUNNING

concerts, etc., going on. And the

posting. As yet, it is still unsure

PTA IN PSI COMPARED

summers are fantastic; everything

where we will be heading. Watch this

WITH OTHER SCHOOLS?

happens outdoors! Winters can be

space!!!

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT PTA IS FACING AT THIS POINT IN ITS HISTORY?

The PTA here at PSI is much more active and vibrant than at my previous school and I’m hoping this will continue, as it’s so important to have this solid link between staff and parents.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST PTA SUCCESS OR SOME SUCCESS STORIES?

Our annual Gala events always raise a lot of money, enabling us to support the school with ‘extra’ things that are 49

COMMUNITY

ALUMNI INTERVIEW BY

EMMA ZELENINA , MARKETING AND ADMISSIONS MANAGER

WHAT WERE YOUR FAVOURITE SUBJECTS OR ACTIVITIES?

I took part in a number of different activities, which I enjoyed. Opening and managing Student Store brings a lot of fun memories. Moreover, I really enjoyed being a part of the MUN (Model United Nations) club and chairing one of the local conferences.

AN EXCLUSIVE

As for the subjects, I always

INTERVIEW WITH

preferred the ones that challenged

GALINA TKALENKO,

me the most; this way I could stay

A FORMER PSI

HOW LONG WERE YOU A

STUDENT, A CURRENT

interested and motivated to learn. For

PSI STUDENT AND WHEN

STUDENT OF CASS

me these subjects were Mathematics

DID YOU GRADUATE?

BUSINESS SCHOOL

and Chemistry. Three years passed

I was a student at PSI for three years

IN LONDON. LAST

and we still recall all the fun we had

(Grades 10-12) and graduated in May

YEAR, SHE WAS ONE

in Geography class, with all of Mr.

2012.

Depooter’s quotes being still relevant.

OF THE TOP 10 BEST

50

UNDERGRADUATE

WHAT DID YOU LIKE

FEMALES IN THE UK

MOST ABOUT PSI?

SUCCESS AT PSI?

AND WAS OFFERED

I really liked the level of education PSI

I would say my biggest success at PSI

AN INTERNSHIP AT

offered. I no longer had to leave the

was the ability to balance my social

ROLLS-ROYCE

country in order to go and study in the

and academic life. I was able to score

WHICH SHE HAS

UK and US, because at PSI I could do

38 points in IB, while taking part in

JUST SUCCESSFULLY

International Baccalaureate, which

numerous after school activities and

COMPLETED.

was taught at a very high level.

going out with my classmates.

WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE LIKE TODAY: ANY SPECIAL PROJECTS AND

Pechersk School International Alumna Galyna Tkalenko https://youtu.be/E3jimyscd2Q

INITIATIVES?

My latest project was a charity project where I designed and sold t-shirts with patriotic messages. All the WHERE ARE YOU STUDYING

revenue was donated to the victims’

NOW, WHAT IS YOUR MAJOR

families in Donetsk.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THE STUDENTS IN

AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS MAJOR AND THIS PAR-

DO YOU KEEP CONTACT

GRADES 11 AND 12?

TICULAR UNIVERSITY?

WITH SOME PSI FRIENDS?

Even though IB is a difficult

Currently, I am in my final year at

WHAT DO YOU MISS THE

programme, it will give you a very good

Cass Business School in London,

MOST ABOUT PSI?

start at the university, and you will feel

and on track for getting a 1st in BSc

Yes, I keep in touch with my classmates

an advantage among other students.

(Hons) Management. I have chosen

as well as older and younger graduates

Therefore use this opportunity, use

this particular university as it was

of PSI. At PSI I made lifelong friendships.

the time and put the maximum effort

ranked Top 2 for their Management

For example last week, my friend

to take everything possible from your

program. Management is something

Katherine, whom I met at PSI 6 years

studies at PSI. Nevertheless, try to

I was passionate about for a long

ago, flew all the way from Canada to

enjoy your last years at school. From

time. At PSI, I realised that most of

London to visit me. Moreover, I still

personal experience, I can say that

my activities involved management,

keep in touch with a few teachers. My

school years are the ones we still talk

for example running and managing

brother recently started his studies at

about when we get together.

Student

PSI; therefore, whenever I am in Kyiv, I

Store

and

being

vice

president of the student body; all

have another reason to visit PSI.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

those positions required managerial skills. Therefore, I have decided to

HOW DID PSI HELP YOU IN

Since the age of 14, I thought I knew

devote the next three years of my life

YOUR PATH TO WHERE YOU

exactly what I wanted, and now being

to studying managerial frameworks

ARE NOW?

five months away from my graduation,

and techniques, which would help me

PSI gave me an amazing IB Diploma.

I realise that I have no clue what I

to succeed in the business world.

I am already at year 3 of my studies

want to do. There are so many things

at the university, and I still apply the

that inspire me that I cannot narrow

WHAT IS THE KEY FEATURE

skills and knowledge that I learned

my choice down. What I know for sure

THAT MAKES THIS UNIVER-

at PSI. PSI was the beginning of what

is that I want to get as much from my

SITY DIFFERENT FROM OTH-

I hope will be a very exciting and

studies in London as possible, get

ERS?

successful journey. As I mentioned

experience at the companies here,

Difficult question, there are so many

above, at PSI, I realised that I want to

and in the long run, come back to

excellent universities in UK. I guess…

study management and in the future

Ukraine and contribute towards a

none of the other ones have me as

open my own business. This is what I

better future for my country.

their student (joking).

am focused on now.

51

COMMUNITY

BY TATIANA ISAKOVA, CAS COORDINATOR

CAS PROGRAMME :

TO

GATES

REAL

LIFE

C

reativity assumes that a student

develops

some

artistic skills and creative

thinking, Action aims to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and Service focuses on volunteering to help community members in need.

The most important part of CAS is raising awareness, a feeling of responsibility and inspiration to actions.

Formal CAS requirements are: Students’ involvement in

the programme over 18 months Balance of 3 areas of CAS Active participation in a group

project which combines at least

two CAS aspects.

CAS does not have a formal number grade,

but

failing

CAS

means

failing the Diploma Programme. Its assessment focuses on the quality

THE IB PLACES CAS (CREATIVITY, ACTION, SERVICE) AND ITS GOALS AT THE CENTRE OF THE DIPLOMA PROGRAMME HEXAGON. CAS AIMS TO EXTEND THE STUDENTS, MOVES THEM BEYOND ACADEMIC INSTRUCTIONS, CREATES A SPIRIT OF SELF-DISCOVERY AND SELF-DEVELOPMENT. 52

of involvement rather than counting hours. In order to succeed in CAS, a student needs to demonstrate eight learning outcomes, to challenge his/her own personality, and to go beyond the classroom to make real life connections.

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

Recently, I came across the 2006-

This year has become really special

2007 PSI Yearbook with pages devoted

in terms of student-initiated projects.

to CAS. It had Creativity, Action and

Real life challenges people in Ukraine,

Service pictures of the students and an

and the students reply with actions.

interview. The last question was: ‘What

One of the groups supports Irpin

is your dream about CAS?’ And the

Rehabilitation Hospital. The students

answer was : ‘Big class projects with real

visit soldiers, bring food, presents,

initiative, ideas and good planning, active

and what is most important, the

promotion of projects and participation.’

warmth of their hearts.

Let’s look together at how these dreams have come true now.

‘

In order to effectively become part of the community, I need to be able to communicate, but that’s often hard for me as I am not fluent in either Russian or Ukrainian. Nonetheless, the best part of CAS is that with some cooperation and planning I can still find ways to help those around me without speaking Russian. When we bring supplies to Irpin Military Hospital, the soldiers communicate with me with facial expressions, not language, and that is more than enough.

MARIA T. , ONE OF THE GROUP PARTICIPANTS

’

One of the oldest CAS projects is Visually Impaired Orphanage support.

Our students share with kids their English skills, teach them crafts, songs, dance and play. It is a pleasure to observe how CAS students change the world of visually impaired kids and make them happier.

53

COMMUNITY

‘

Going to the Visually Impaired Center has definitely made the biggest impact on me. It is a constant reminder that anyone can help. Teaching English to young children, especially those in troubling financial as well as living situations, may seem trivial – when will they ever need to know animals in English, you ask? What I’ve learned from going to the center is that giving these children even a basic overview of English will prove to be an invaluable tool in ameliorating their futures – and they have fun in the process!

MARIA T. , ONE OF THE GROUP PARTICIPANTS

The team that supports the orphanage

Creativity and Service areas of CAS and

is creative and sensitive to the needs

aims to support kids from the families

of the community. Recently, the

influenced by the situation in Eastern

orphanage building was damaged by a

Ukraine. The group visits a refugee

fire. Our students took this pain as their

centre and families in need, and runs

own, and are planning fundraising to

fundraising events. It is essential that

support the school.

many MYP students volunteered for

Being an experimental kind of

this project, which means that PSI CAS

learning, CAS does not stand outside

spirit will remain at the same high level.

of the Diploma Programme. It is closely

...It is impossible to cover in

connected to the Theory of Knowledge

one article all students’ activities in

course. TOK examines different ways of

the 3 CAS areas. CEESA tournament

knowing –sense perception, language,

participation and individual sports,

reason and emotions. All of them are

drama play and PSI morning show, MUN

present in CAS activities.

and animal shelter project… The list

The pictures below show a Student

can go on and on. All of these activities

Store event for kids with Down

support the IB Mission Statement: ‘The

Syndrome,

teaching

International Baccalaureate® aims to

activity and visiting the retirement

develop inquiring, knowledgeable and

house. All these real life events

caring young people who help to create

influence students’ personality via four

a better and more peaceful world

ways of knowing

through intercultural understanding

One

Kindergarten

more

student

initiated

project is The Children of the World to the Children of Ukraine. It combines 54

and respect.’ (IB Organisation, no date)

’

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

BY ELIZABETH BEZVERKHA , GRADE 12 STUDENT

STUDENT STORE IS

MUCH MORE THAN SALES

I became the leader of Student Store by the end of Grade 10. Since then, my responsibilities have ranged from leading meetings, to keeping the treasury, to making sure the profit earned reaches those in need (various organisations listed below).

Since

then we have tested various different products: corny bars, mivina, cheese sandwiches, hot dogs and of course, stayed with the traditional Vesuvio pizza. Recently the rapid increase in prices with the gryvna losing value, has got us thinking about how we can continue earning the same amount of profit. Therefore we conducted a price investigation and compared Vesuvio with Domino’s Pizza.

During these 2 years Student Store has made a real difference: Krab Center

(Supporting kids with cancer) Down Syndrome Centre kids

(intellectual disabilities) Refugee camp

YOU ARE PROBABLY READING THIS, AND WONDERING WHAT HAPPENS BEHIND THE DARK WINDOWS OF THE STUDENT STORE, IN ORDER FOR YOU TO GET YOUR PIZZA SLICE DURING LUNCH... AND WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?

Elderly house

(known as Dom Truda) Family in need from

the Djerela Centre Djerela Centre Visually Impaired Centre 55

COMMUNITY

56

The team has also not only

it would be very difficult to work with

created new traditions but continued

them. On contrary, it was very exciting

those set up by previous members.

and fun. I especially enjoy horovod

Every year we organise a New Year’s

(going around in a circle) and the

Party for kids with Down Syndrome.

tunnel that we set up (borrowed from

They come with their parents,

the gym).

relatives and friends. The event is led

Apart from this one main event,

by Ded Moroz and Snegyrochka (Alex

we decided to add a yearly spring

and Ivanna), who dress up in their

visit to an elderly house outside the

costumes and play games with the

city, known as Dom Truda. Last year

kids. Every year we organise a small

we engaged in some interesting

banquet, buy special gifts and have

conversations with the elderly while

a few students do face painting. Last

wishing them a Happy Easter! As

year, we had it in Magelan, but this

of now the main goal is to continue

year due to the rise in prices and lack

earning the profit we do, because

of initiative from other corporations

those to whom we provide food,

to continue charity work, we held it at

medicine

school. This caused us to spend less

cannot live without our help and in all

money but our effort made the party

honesty depend on us. For example,

fun for the kids and parents.

we got a call from Dom Truda asking

and

necessary

items,

Working with these kids changed

for help, since they had no food at all

my viewpoint a lot and made me much

for their Women’s Day celebration. We

stronger. At first I was quite anxious

cannot turn them down. Therefore, we

and uncomfortable, as I thought that

simply pack our bags and go!

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

As a leader, it is important to be

a dependency on others, the leader

motivated, listen to the ideas of other

always has to show independence

members and transform them into

and greater responsibility.

achievable goals. During this time, I

Of course, thank you to our

developed my organisational skills,

customers, who allow us to continue

since one of the biggest challenges

to make a difference! Student Store

is time-management along with

helps to make the world a little less

planning every detail without leaving

tough. But we also change with the

anything important out.

Student Store. We become risk-takers

We also

learnt how to make sure others are

who are open-minded and balanced.

cooperating and manage to get their job done. It is important to encourage team members, as working together is always easier. Another important thing I learnt is that things can go wrong and you just have to adjust and go with the flow. Therefore, when there is a problem, one should always be able to risk and take charge. Although in a team there is 57

MY CAS EXPERIENCE

COMMUNITY

58

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

TODAY WE START PUBLISHING INTERVIEWS OF THE IB DIPLOMA STUDENTS ABOUT THEIR CAS EXPERIENCE. THEY GIVE THEIR TIME AND ENERGY TO A VARIETY OF PROJECTS AND INSPIRE OTHERS.

SOFIA AZCONA ABRAIN GRADE 12 STUDENT: Kindergarten teaching project ( proective and creative leader). Dancing lessons, Volleyball PSI team ( captain), Student 小ouncil, Drama

What have you discovered about yourself participating in the CAS projects?

I discovered how rewarding and necessary it is to contribute and help out the

What project made the biggest impact on you and what was your role?

Kindergarten teaching because I was the team leader and most importantly

community that I am part of and that I am capable of different things.

because it taught me how to be a leader, how to organise the project and how to encourage my group members to equally contribute and help.

What have you discovered about the world doing your CAS?

That you can learn so much from others and become a better person by helping

What from your CAS experience may be useful for you in the future?

I'll use the leadership skills that I learnt by organising the kindergarten teaching

the community.

project, and hopefully I will apply the skills that I learnt when dealing with kids whenever I have my own.

What is the most rewarding part of the CAS work?

The feeling of knowing that your contribution makes a difference. Whether it's by something as simple as teaching basic English to children, you know that you're helping out by opening doors for their future.

What is the most difficult part of CAS for you?

Managing to balance the three areas of CAS - creativity, action, and service; and making sure that you still have time to do your homework and leave time for yourself.

59

COMMUNITY

OKSANA PLIUSHKO GRADE 11 STUDENT: Animal shelter, Irpin Rehabilitation Centre support, Kindergarten teaching project , MUN, Student Council, Basketball.

What have you discovered about yourself participating in the CAS projects?

I have realised the vital responsibilities that CAS holds. Your group members always rely on you to finish your part in order to get the task done. But it is very rewarding when you find out that what you have created and worked on together was successful in the end.

What project made the biggest impact on you and what was your role?

The project which had a big impact on me was Kindergarten teaching. I had never thought about how much responsibility this project holds. I have been actively participating in lesson planning and in creating new activities for the children, in order to make it fun and educational. Since, I fluently speak English, Ukrainian and Russian, I act as the translator during the lessons. I lead a lot of the lessons with my group members and try to do as many activities as possible in thirty minutes.

What have you discovered about the world doing your CAS?

English is becoming a significant language, which people all around the world use to communicate. Right now, there are many facilities built in order to teach adults and children English. With this project, we are starting early and getting the kids engaged in learning through fun activities and lessons in order to help them learn a language that will help them in the future.

What from your CAS experience may be useful for you in the future?

I definitely have improved my communication skills. I have also learnt how to problem solve quickly. In a situation, when an exercise doesn’t work, or the children are not engaged, we would have to improvise something new that would help our situation. We had to do this a lot in Kindergarten teaching, but it has trained us to become better problem-solvers

What is the most rewarding part of the CAS work?

After each lesson, we quickly reflect verbally and see what worked and what has not worked. When we see that the kids enjoy the activity and after we test them on the things we have learnt together, it is quite pleasing to see that we have accomplished our goal for the day.

What is the most difficult part of CAS for you?

The most difficult part of CAS, in my opinion specifically to this project, is to control and get the children to listen. We had to think of different ways in order to get them to listen and be engaged in the activities, as well as to check on them if they are happy with it or not. We have a lot of kids who decide to disrupt the classes, but through multiple lessons, we have found ways to control that

60

situation and get the children interested in the lesson once again.

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

IVANNA VORONOVYCH GRADE 11 STUDENT: Children of the World to the Children of Ukraine, KPSI, Student store, Student Council, MUN, Football

What have you discovered about yourself participating in the CAS projects?

CAS projects have helped me understand who I am and what I want from life.

It has helped me understand that I want to dedicate my life to helping others, because there is truly no bigger joy in life than seeing a smile and tears of joy from those whose life you managed to improve just a little bit, at least just for a moment.

What project made the biggest impact on you and what was your role?

Children of the World to the Children of Ukraine has made the biggest impact in my life. I am currently the founder and leader of the project. This project has taught me to put the needs of others in front of mine. It has taught me the value of life. Children are the future, and it's important that we do everything in our power to help them lead all of us into a brighter future. Children and also those who have lost their parent(s) due to the on going crisis in eastern Ukraine have suffered through the worst possible things anyone can imagine today. It's now our job to ensure their safety and comfort in everyday life. Though we don't have the funding to fully change the lives of every kid that is suffering, we do everything we can to help those few that are within our reach.

What have you discovered about the world doing your CAS?

The world can be a cruel place, and it's our responsibility as humans to help one another. We can only live a happy life if we stand side by side, and help each other without expecting anything in return. The joy of the world lies in the smiles of children and families.

What from your CAS experience may be useful for you in the future?

CAS has taught me a lot of responsibility, and different ways to communicate with different individuals. It's important to find a common language, and a comfortable way of communication with people that you are working with. I have become flexible in my communication skills. It's important to try to understand the people you are talking to on a deeper level, and show them that whatever they are saying, or feeling, is understood.

What is the most rewarding part of the CAS work?

The most rewarding part of CAS is that one short moment when a child or a parent smiles, because you were able to provide them that joy. You should never expect a thank you for what you are doing in CAS, because it's not about thank you's. CAS is about making the lives of people around us better. One smile is all, and much more than any thank you in the work. A smile expresses all feelings we as human being might have difficulty explaining.

What is the most difficult part of CAS for you?

Understanding and coming to terms with the fact that you can't help everyone.

Sometimes it is better to put all your effort, time, and money into helping one person, than ineffectively trying to help 10.

61

COMMUNITY

LITERACY MONTH 2015 THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF MARCH, WE CELEBRATED LITERACY AT PSI WITH OUR ANNUAL LITERACY MONTH. THIS YEAR THE FOCUS OF LITERACY MONTH WAS READING AND WRITING FOR PLEASURE AND WE PROMOTED THIS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES, WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS THAT INVOLVED STUDENTS FROM EC — GRADE 12, TEACHERS, STAFF AND PARENTS. Whole school activities included Drop Everything and Read.

This

School and all students were involved

happened every day throughout the

in judging the writing competition

month of March and involved students

in the Primary by casting their vote

and teachers dropping whatever they

for their favourite piece. Winners of

were doing and reading for a minimum

the PSI Young Authors Award were

of ten minutes. This often looked

announced at the literacy month

different in different classrooms and

celebration assembly and presented

could be students silent reading, a

with a certificate.

teacher reading to the class, small

be collated and compiled into a

group reading or paired reading.

hardbound PSI book, a copy of which

A

writing

competition

was

launched in February across the

BY PAM YORK AND POLINA SPENCER , PSI LIBRARIANS 62

in each category in the Secondary

All entries will

will be kept in both the Primary and Secondary School libraries.

whole school. Students were asked to

We were very happy to welcome

submit their entries in any format and

our visiting author John Farrell, who is

any genre including poetry, narrative,

also a singer-songwriter. He worked

investigative article, graphic novel

with students from Kindergarten –

or comic strip. A panel of judges

Grade 7 on a variety of different

were asked to read and review the

projects. His Bridges of Peace and

submissions and choose a winner

Hope project has been embraced

REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS. SPRING 2015

by students and teachers.

You

can learn more about John and his many projects by visiting his website www.johnfarrell.net or the Bridges of Peace and Hope website www.bridgesofpeaceandhope.com John’s two books are also available in the primary school library.

We hosted our first ever Family Literacy Afternoon in which teachers

at home, as nothing brings parents

buzzing

and children closer than time spent

We hope the photos speak for

together sharing a great story.

themselves and represent the vast

shared a text and activity with parents

Secondary school students had

and students. The event was eagerly

the opportunity for a ‘Blind Date’ with

attended by many families and we

a book! They chose a package from

hope to repeat the event again next

many identically wrapped books and

year.

had to commit to reading whatever

The primary school welcomed parent volunteer readers to read

was inside.

with

talk

of

literacy.

range of experiences that students participated in.

There were many

surprises and few disappointments!

aloud to students in their Mother

These activities along with many

Tongue. This ever-popular event is

other competitions, events and

something that parents can continue

opportunities left the community 63

– A P L AC E W H E R E W E B E LO N G –

T H E O N LY I B WO R L D S C H O O L I N KY I V F U L LY AU T H O R I S E D TO T E AC H A L L T H R E E P R O G R A M M E S

PSI SUMMER PROGRAMME 22 JUN - 03 JUL 03 AUG - 14 AUG

2015

OPEN TO NON-PSI STUDENTS